the resolution - 2017

and the winner is ..........................

this year the resolution is moderation.

in the past i've been very fond of saying, moderation is for monks. if things work out, i'll be a monk for a significant chunk of 2017.

i'm talking about exercise and diet. my resolution is probably the opposite of 95% of the resolutions made by other fools such as i. i'm stiff and sore, my whole body aches. there's a really good chance that most of my aches and pains originate from all the exercise i do. moderation is for monks and in the past i've not moderated my exercise, i've overdone it.

same thing for weight, i want to put on a few pounds.  with almost zero body fat, i'm too sensitive to the cold weather, i need some insulation.

there's a good chance that all my troubles are the inevitable changes that occur with aging but son of a bitch, it's worth a shot. in my case, it's easier for me to exercise than not to exercise. 

while the rest of us plan for the coming new year and enjoy the comforts of home, there is a group of needy souls that usually go unnoticed, the homeless drug addicts. vancouver's downtown eastside is often called the biggest shit hole in the developed world. poverty and addiction are everywhere. when i was 15 years old i got my first job as a dishwasher in the area and experienced the horror show firsthand. it was alcohol and heroin in those days and now opiates and methamphetamines have been added to the mix. i often ride through the area on a sunday morning in the good weather and the stark poverty and suffering are unbelievable. 

WELFARE DAY ON VANCOUVER'S DOWTOWN EASTSIDE

the thing that always blows me away is the openness of  the drug dealing and trafficking of stolen merchandise. the federal government makes the drugs illegal but the city of vancouver does not enforce the law, they enable the addiction. there is virtually no effort to rehabilitate these poor souls, just give the appearance of giving a shit. we pick them up and save them from the brink of death from overdosing and then push them back onto the streets to do the whole thing again and again and again.

there but for the grace of god go i.

and of course i need an altar to pray for my salvation.

and best of all, now i'm ready for summer.

billy loves you sons of bitches and says: it's all bullshit, don't let it get you down.